Finding Home
by Galaya
Summary: Keith never expected to be wanted by anyone or belong anywhere. Meeting Shiro changed that. Suddenly, he found himself with someone who dared to call him family. Then that was torn away from him when the Kerberos mission disappeared. But Shiro came back. An exploration of a possible backstory for Keith, along with how being part galra affects him. From meeting Shiro, to Voltron.
1. Chapter 1: Shiro

Finding Home

A _Voltron: Legendary Defender_ Fanfic

Galaya

Written: 12-17-17

Published: 12-21-17

* * *

 **This is fanfiction – I don't own anything. Unless you count the exact sequence of words comprising this fic.**

 **So, this is my first story in a while. I've had a lot of trouble recently motivating myself to write anything, be it fanfiction or original work. I recently started watching** ** _Voltron: Legendary Defender_** **, and decided I might as well write a story. I don't know how coherent this story will be. There might be a plot, there might not be. I'm mostly just focusing on motivating myself to write.**

 **This is basically a combination of a lot of different ideas I've had and have liked. The beginning focuses primarily on Keith and Shiro. I love the idea that they might have been adoptive brothers, or that Shiro was Keith's legal guardian.**

 **This will also explore what being part galra means for Keith, and what the circumstances behind his existence might be, and why he was orphaned. One of the things that irritates me most when stories have a non-human character who appears entirely human is that they don't show any significant differences. They're entirely human except for the fact that we are told they aren't. So, while Keith will appear entirely human (if I find a believable way to work it into the story later, he may develop more galra-esque traits, which I already have an idea for) but will have some subtle differences. Many of these will involve behaviour or sensory things, as they would likely be different, but also could easily be explained away as human. Things like certain instinctive gestures having a different meaning, or being able to see better in the dark.**

 **Most likely, there won't be any pairings in this story. I don't hate romances, but I can't write them, and I like exploring platonic relationships more. If any pairings become canon, I will probably include them, but only if they make sense in this story and I feel they don't weaken a character in any way (like how a lot of female characters in fiction will go from being well-rounded to existing only to be a love interest). The rest of the team will appear eventually as I get into the events of the series, and I may show other perspectives.**

* * *

Chapter One: Shiro

* * *

Keith watched Shiro carefully. The teenager sat on the bench, relaxed, and acting as if he didn't know Keith was there. Keith knew it was an act. They had done this… _thing_ ever since they'd met – if it could be called meeting - a few days ago. Shiro pretended not to notice him until Keith couldn't stand it any longer. He always let Keith make the first move.

Keith wasn't sure how he felt about that. Life had taught him that people always expected him to act as they directed. Foster homes expected him to be obedient and happy. Therapists and behavioral counselors expected him to open up and talk about his feelings. Teachers expected him to listen and follow directions. Other children expected him to join them and play. If he acted outside of their expectations, he was punished. Even if he didn't understand why.

People always expected him to listen to them, to understand what they wanted without explaining. When he tried asking why, what did he do wrong, they chastised him. As if he should simply _know_. He didn't.

But Shiro… Shiro just sat there, on that bench. He didn't tell Keith what to do. He didn't even acknowledge Keith unless Keith chose to acknowledge him first. Keith had tested it. He sat there, reading his textbooks, or working on homework, or staring at the sky with a content smile. No matter what Keith did.

Today, Shiro had brought his lunch with him as well. Keith's mouth watered just staring at it. He'd hardly eaten in _days_. Food had never been a priority for Keith. If getting some time to himself meant missing a few meals, it didn't bother him too much.

He hadn't run away – he knew better, social services would track him down and punish him if he tried running away again – but Keith stayed away from the foster homes as much as possible. It wasn't hard. They probably appreciated his absence. People always seemed to instinctively distrust Keith.

Shiro looked up from his textbook.

Keith startled. In a single breath, he was under the shadow of the closest tree – which, being in the middle of the desert, wasn't particularly big or cast a large shadow. He crouched down with a hand on the handle of his knife behind his back. A low sound rumbled in his chest, even as he tried to swallow it down.

 _Freak_ , the countless, unnamed voices whispered from his memory. What kind of person growled like an animal?

"Do you want one?" asked Shiro, fetching an uneaten roll from his lunch to hold out toward Keith.

Keith stared. This was the first time Shiro had spoken since that first day, when he'd tried to introduce himself. He'd only gotten as far as his name before Keith had fled into the park.

Undeterred by Keith's silence, Shiro reached over to the opposite end of the bench and set the roll down. "I grabbed a bit more than I needed this morning. I'll probably puke in the simulator if I eat it all."

"Simulator?" The word dropped from Keith's lips before he had a chance to think about it.

His voice was rough from disuse. Keith couldn't remember the last time he'd spoken to someone. Even in school, he did his best to never speak, despite any lectures or punishment he might receive from teachers for it. It was summer break now, and his current foster family had given up on trying to get him to speak. It had probably been… a month, maybe two, since he'd last spoken.

"The training simulator." Shiro nodded. "At the Galaxy Garrison."

Keith couldn't help the excitement that rushed through him at the words. He took an involuntary step forward, and his hand relaxed away from his knife. The Galaxy Garrison. As a kid, it was all he'd ever dreamed about.

But as quickly as the excitement had come, the disappointment crushed the life out of it. Keith's body sagged. How could someone like him, a kid with disciplinary issues and no home, no family, no money, possibly get into the Galaxy Garrison? He was smart and fit, but no one could ever tolerate him longer than a few days. _Freak._

Keith had learned never to get his hopes up about the impossible from a young age.

Shiro checked the time on his phone with a sigh. He closed his textbook and stood up. Keith drew back into the trees, but didn't flee this time. Normally, at the first sign of Shiro moving, Keith would dart away and not look back. But today, he was curious.

"Well, I'd better get back." Shiro smiled at Keith warmly.

People didn't smile at him. Sometimes people would give him those fake, too-cheerful smiles, or the dark grins people would flash at him before they attacked, be it physical or verbal. But this _warm_ smile…

"I'll leave that there if you want it. If not, I imagine the birds might enjoy it. Have a good day."

Keith watched Shiro as he walked down the path. He didn't move until Shiro faded from view entirely.

He pounced on the roll and darted into the trees.

It was the best thing Keith had eaten in years.

V

They didn't speak again for another week. Shiro kept bringing his lunch. Every time before he left, he'd reach over to the other end of the bench a leave a portion of his lunch. After he left, Keith would snatch it up and devour it.

At the end of the week, Shiro left an entire second lunch, complete with a juice pouch.

Keith was sitting at the bench the next day when Shiro returned. He retreated to the tree as Shiro approached, but no further. Keith leaned against the trunk as Shiro sat down.

Shiro smiled at him, content to read through his textbook as he ate his lunch.

"Thanks," Keith whispered.

Shiro paused and looked up from the book. "Your welcome."

Keith took a deep, steadying breath. Slowly, he stood up. Shiro raised an eyebrow, but returned to reading his book. He didn't react even as Keith approached the bench, and sat down.

"Why?"

Shiro lifted his head. "Why?"

Keith bit back a frustrated growl. "Why are you… The food. The…"

The smiling.

"You looked lonely. And hungry," answered Shiro. "And I've always enjoyed sharing a meal with someone."

"But, why?"

"Does there need to be a reason?"

Keith didn't have an answer to that. Part of him wanted to argue that there was always a reason. Another part remembered all the times people had shouted at him, or accused him of whatever, or cursed at him, all without a reason Keith could discern.

"Most people who see a kid alone in the park ask where their parents are." Keith glared at the ground. "Or contact social services. The police."

"True."

"So, why?"

"Because you don't look like a runaway." Shiro turned to face him now, and Keith tensed under his studious inspection. "You're skinny, sure, but your clothes are new every day. Your hair looks like it was trimmed recently. All I see is a lonely kid hanging out in the park who probably doesn't eat enough."

He pushed the second lunch over to Keith. "You look like you need someone to be quiet and listen to you, and not ask questions."

V

"What's the Garrison like?"

Shiro grinned as he set his textbook aside. He ended up missing his class that day, losing track of time as he enthusiastically told stories about his years as a cadet, and the first mission he'd been on.

He told Keith that he'd grinned the entire time his superiors told him off for missing the class.

V

Keith didn't move as Shiro sat down on the bench beside him. He stared at his hands sadly. Shiro set a bag of snacks between them and opened up his textbook. It wasn't lunch anymore. Keith was eating lunch at school now, and now they met up at the park after Keith's school let out and Shiro had a break between classes. And it had been a few weeks since Shiro had read instead of telling Keith about the Garrison, but he knew when to give Keith space.

Keith was going to miss the stories.

"They're sending me away," Keith said.

Shiro remained quiet. He never pushed, always letting Keith speak in his own time.

"My foster family." Keith elaborated. "This is my… I don't know. Sixteenth? I've stopped counting. I don't want to keep count."

They sat in silence for a while. Keith opened the bag and ate the food slowly. He savored every bite. He wished there was some way he could repay Shiro for this.

"I'm scared," he admitted as he finished the food. "The system isn't as bad as people like to make it out to be, usually, but… I always get unlucky."

Shiro pulled his phone out. Keith watched him, confused, as he scrolled to a contact. The phone rang twice before a masculine voice answered.

"I won't be at class this afternoon," Shiro told the voice calmly.

Keith stared. Shiro hung up after a moment, and turned to face Keith with a gentle smile. He pulled out a piece of paper, and tore off the corner. He jotted something down on the paper and handed it over to Keith.

"You don't have to call," Shiro said, "but I'll always listen if you do. I might not always be able to answer – missions and class might get in the way – but you can leave a message if I don't. If I can, I'll try to call you back."

Keith didn't know what to say. He stared at the slip of paper. _Takashi Shirogane_ , it read. Someone actually wanted to keep in touch. Someone actually wanted to remember him.

His eyes stung.

"Keith."

Shiro blinked.

Keith met his eyes. "My name. Keith Kogane."

Shiro smiled. "Nice to meet you, Keith."

V

The next foster home lasted all of a week. He got into a fight with another kid over something stupid at school. On the way 'home,' his foster mother had been more focused on lecturing Keith about his behaviour than watching the road. She died on impact. Keith had to have surgery to repair his broken arm. Being ambidextrous was helpful at times like this.

Shiro took time off to sit with him in the hospital. Apparently, one of the paramedics had found Shiro's number in Keith's pocket, and had called him. Keith cried when he saw him. He blamed it on the pain medication.

The hospital added Shiro as an emergency contact.

V

After the hospital, Keith went to a group home. He called Shiro a few times. Shiro offered to drive him to physical therapy. They visited the park every weekend, even through the winter.

When Shiro turned twenty – or five, as he told Keith jokingly, leap year birthday – he spent the entire day with Keith. Keith gave him a small, cheap model of the spacecraft from the first mission Shiro had been on. He stared at the ground as Shiro opened it, ashamed that he couldn't get anything better. Shiro grinned and clapped him gently on the shoulder.

"It's perfect," Shiro said.

"It was the only one I could afford," admitted Keith.

Shiro shrugged, and set the model on his desk beside a framed picture of his family. "It could be a rock for all I care, Keith. It isn't the gift that matters – that's just a bonus. It's the person giving the gift that matters. I love it."

Keith wasn't sure whether to grin or cry at that. He settled on staring at the ground between his feet.

V

Keith was on the verge of panicking when the matron of the group home told him he was leaving. He knew Shiro would never let him get out of touch, but he'd grown used to seeing him at least every week. What if they sent him somewhere far away? They'd already taken him away from his father. He didn't want to be taken away from Shiro as well.

He slung his bag over his shoulder. There wasn't much in it. Just a few changes of clothes, an extra pair of boots, his knife, and the slip of paper with Shiro's number. Keith headed down to join the matron at the front door. He stopped as he saw Shiro talking with the matron.

At least he'd get to say goodbye in person if he was sent somewhere far away. That was something.

Shiro grinned as he caught sight of Keith on the stairs. He waved Keith down. Keith frowned as he joined them. The matron gave Keith a smile – fake and overly cheerful, as always – and said a quick goodbye before heading back up to talk to the other kids.

"So…" Keith's gaze dropped to the floor.

Shiro ruffled his hair. It was still a strange thing for Keith, but he didn't protest. He trusted Shiro, and he secretly loved the physical contact. Most of the physical contact he'd had in his life came from fights with other kids, or when an adult would haul him away by his hand. Shiro's touch was light and friendly. It felt safe.

Keith almost let himself think it felt like family.

"Do you know where I'm going?" Keith asked.

"I do," answered Shiro, still grinning.

This was strange.

"Where?"

Shiro untucked a folder from under his arm and held it out to Keith. "I've been working on this ever since the crash."

Keith took it hesitantly. "On what?"

He opened the folder. It was the normal documents for–

Takashi Shirogane. Legal guardian.

Keith stared.

"I had to work it out with the Garrison." Shiro continued. "It's a bit of an unusual situation, but-"

Keith tackled Shiro in a hug. The folder fell to the floor in a mess. Shiro stood, frozen, for a moment, as Keith's arms tightened around him. Slowly, gently, Shiro returned the hug.

Keith couldn't tell if the vibration in his throat was from crying, or laughing, or the strange 'purring' thing he vaguely remembered having done as a kid. For once, he didn't care. The voices shouting "freak" and "monster" and "unnatural" were silent, chased away by Shiro's gentle smile and warm presence.

It felt familiar. He didn't feel out of place. He'd finally found a home.

V


	2. Chapter 2: Legal Guardian

Finding Home

A _Voltron: Legendary Defender_ Fanfic

Galaya

Written: 12-18-17

Published: 12-22-17

 **This is fanfiction. I don't own anything.**

 **I don't know much about the foster care system or social services. Most of what appears in this fic is guess work based off the little information I know, and me messing around with that information a bit to explain a possible reason Keith ended up in it. I probably have gotten some things wrong, and I've tried to leave it vague.**

 **While this fic will be going into the events of the series, it will be diverging from canon pretty quickly. Once I get to that point, where things really start diverging, this may get a little more plot-oriented. Canon events will still happen, unless they conflict with this story in any way. I will usually leave a note at the beginning of a chapter if I am removing or changing and even to fit better in this fic.**

* * *

Chapter Two: Legal Guardian

Keith wasn't sure why most people complained about dorm rooms. With the 'unusual situation,' as Shiro had put it, the Garrison had allowed Shiro to share his dorm room with Keith, rather than having a roommate. Keith had shared rooms with people before. It had never really bothered him that much, unless it was a person he didn't like.

Sharing a room with Shiro wasn't like that. It felt more like the half-forgotten memories of his father, or even the almost memories – he wasn't sure if they were real or not - of his mother. The closeness was comforting. For as much of a loner as Keith was, he hated being alone.

Shiro spent the first few days convinced that Keith was a terrible snorer. Keith wasn't entirely sure what to tell him. The faint vibrations in his throat had hardly ever quit ever since Shiro had handed Keith the folder.

When Keith was asleep it was louder, as he wasn't able to consciously tone it down while asleep, but it kept up while he was awake. That had dispelled Shiro's belief that he was snoring. Part of Keith had expected Shiro to laugh at him, or call him a freak for the 'purring.' There wasn't really another name for it. But Shiro had only smiled, and told him it was cute. And that he didn't want Keith to force himself to silence it if he didn't want to.

It had grown even louder after that. Keith would stifle it when anyone else was around, but he didn't when it was just him and Shiro. It felt good. It felt free. And it made Shiro smile, so Keith couldn't hate it. It did mean that their room was rarely completely silent for the first couple weeks until the novelty began to ease a bit.

Keith loved the dorm room. It was the first place that had felt like home since social services had taken him away from his father.

V

Keith learned of Shiro's arrangement with the Garrison that spring, when Shiro was assigned to a mission. It was simple, just a flight to bring supplies to a mining operation in the main asteroid belt. He wouldn't be gone more than a few months. Keith hardly spoke for the first few days following the announcement.

He was scared that he'd be sent to another foster home, at least temporarily. Shiro had promised multiple times that he'd never let Keith go somewhere he didn't want to, so long as he had any say and any ability to help. As such, Keith was confident that whatever arrangement that would be made for the next few months wouldn't be permanent.

It didn't relieve his fear entirely, however.

Shiro gave him a reassuring smile as they sat down to eat breakfast that morning. "I'll be back before the end of summer."

"Where am I going?" asked Keith. "While you're gone."

"You're not going anywhere, Keith."

Keith frowned at him, spoon halfway out of his bowl of cereal. A drop of milk fell back down.

"I told you, I had to work it out with the Garrison." Shiro smiled. "I knew I'd be sent on missions. While I'm gone, the Garrison has custody of you. It isn't conventional, but they agreed to it. I would have asked Commander Holt to watch you, but I'm usually sent on the same missions as him. Besides, the Garrison's interested in recruiting you, you know."

"Really?"

It was everything he'd ever dreamed of. Could it actually happen?

"It'll be probably at least another year before you hear anything. Most cadets join when they're fourteen. A few get accepted younger, but that's rare."

Keith stared at his food. "What about my… issues?"

"What issues?"

Shiro was grinning, but Keith could see hints of sympathy in his expression. He knew what Keith was talking about. Keith stirred his cereal around in the milk with his spoon.

"Keith, you haven't gotten into any fights since you came to live with me. They might keep a closer eye on you, be a little stricter than with other cadets, but they aren't going to throw you away unless you give them reason to."

They ate in silence for a few minutes. Shiro finished his cereal before Keith – who was more playing with his food than he was eating it.

"Keith?"

Keith met Shiro's eyes.

Shiro set his bowl aside and crossed his arms over the table. "Do you mind if I ask what started those fights?"

"What do you mean?"

"Like, did they throw the first punch? Were they picking on you? I can't see you getting into a fight without a reason."

Keith deliberated for a few moments. Shiro didn't press. He allowed Keith time to think.

"I don't really know," admitted Keith. "I… Sometimes I only realized what was going on once we were already fighting. A few times it… it was because I got mad at comments people made. Calling me 'orphan,' and 'unwanted.' 'Freak.' And… people – adults, other kids – got upset when I wouldn't let go of my knife."

He gestured vaguely at the knife on his belt. That was one of the things he appreciated most about Shiro – he'd never demanded that Keith give him the knife, or get rid of it. He let Keith keep it, though he did keep a careful eye to make sure Keith didn't hurt himself with it.

Which was actually rather nice, in a way.

"But most of the time, I don't know what happened. I just… I read the situation wrong, or something. Or people would get in my face, and I'd just… react. Once I accidently punched a kid for shouting at me. I thought he was angry, or trying to provoke me. Turned out he was just excited that I was wearing the same shirt as him. I…"

Keith shrugged helplessly. Doctors had tried to diagnose him with learning or behavioral disorders for years, but nothing really fit.

One therapist had likened it to the relationship between cats and dogs. Often, they didn't have anything against each other naturally, and could get along perfectly well, but sometimes they'd get confused by each other's body language, and it could turn into a fight unintentionally. They could learn to compromise, and to read each other, but misunderstandings were still inevitable.

"It doesn't make you a bad person, Keith. Come on, I got to get you to school."

V

The next few months were rough. Keith watched the shuttle take off. A few of the commanding officers would check on him occasionally, to make sure that he was eating, sleeping, and not dead or something, but otherwise left him alone. Shiro had left enough money for Keith to go to the store and get himself food and anything else he might need.

It wasn't the same as having Shiro around, but it was infinitely better than being sent to another foster home or a group home.

Shiro messaged Keith when he got the chance. They were delayed, due to the growing distance between the shuttle and Earth, but they quickly became the highlight of Keith's day. On the days he didn't receive another transmission, he'd watch the previous ones again.

Shiro came home a few days before the new school year started. Keith barely managed to keep from hurtling himself at Shiro as he exited the briefing room. Shiro ruffled his hair with a laugh and looked him over.

"You've grown. I thought I was only gone for a couple months."

Keith blinked. "What?"

No one had ever commented on him growing before. It was just a normal thing. All kids grew. It'd be more noteworthy if he hadn't grown.

"I missed you, kiddo. Garrison treat you well?"

"It was bearable."

They visited the park again after that to celebrate having known each other for a full year. Shiro packed two lunches for them. They sat on the same bench.

It was the longest Keith had known someone since he'd been taken away from his father.

V

October came quickly. Shiro asked Keith if he wanted to do anything for his birthday. Keith didn't have to ask him how he knew, his 'birthdate' was in the files Shiro was given when he took custody of Keith.

Keith shrugged. "I don't care."

He'd never really celebrated his birthday properly. Some of his foster homes had tried to make an occasion of it, but it didn't usually mean much. Foster homes with a lot of kids and the group homes turned it more into a party for everyone than something just for Keith. He wasn't sure if he'd ever celebrated it with his father.

Besides, it might not even be his real birthday, anyway. It was just a guess. Social services had asked him to choose a day. Keith didn't remember well enough if the day he'd said was his actual birthday, or not.

Keith tried not to let it bother him.

Shiro gave him a chunk of crystal mined from the asteroid he had visited for his birthday. It was clear with flecks of metallic grey streaked through it. It took up residence on the desk beside the picture of Shiro's family and the model of the shuttle.

V

"Do you remember anything about your parents?" asked Shiro one day.

"Maybe?" Keith had never been too sure about the memories of his parents. "I think my dad looked like me. Dark hair, dark eyes. He was tall, I think. He taught me the constellations, and the names of all the planets."

"Anything about your mom."

"Purple cat."

Shiro stared at him for a moment. Keith shrugged.

"I think it was probably her favorite color and favorite animal or something? And my brain just combined the two, I guess. I don't really remember anything, but I always think of a purple cat any time I think of her. And… safe. She was safe. This belonged to her."

He pulled out his knife. The purple symbol on the hilt was covered, wrapped up in a strip of thick white cloth to block out the dim glow.

"At least, that's what my dad said. I think? I was pretty young when…"

Shiro nodded. "I know social services claimed custody of you when you were little, but I didn't want to pry into it. Can I ask what happened?"

Keith stared at the ceiling, thinking about his past before foster care, about his parents. His mind conjured vague images and impressions. Darkness all around, like the night sky but everywhere. A purple glow. Odd symbols. A low, rumbling voice that seemed to be his mother's, promising safety and love. Something about a blade. A purple cat.

And his father. A tall man, with dark hair and eyes like Keith's. Laughter and cuddling up under a blanket together to wait out a thunderstorm. Sand and warmth. His voice was gentle and calm. But he always seemed sad, looking toward the sky as if waiting for something. Watching the front door as if fearing something.

"Social services said he wasn't fit to raise a child," Keith said quietly. "That he was insane, or something."

"I'm sorry."

"I don't believe that."

Shiro frowned. "That I'm sorry?"

"No. That he wasn't sane. I think they realized I didn't have real documentation, and decided to make up an excuse for taking me away."

Shiro's eyebrows rose.

"You know, like a birth certificate," Keith clarified.

"You have one, though."

"Social services made it when they took custody of me. It's just guesswork, though. They don't even know how old I really am. _I_ don't know."

"Don't take this the wrong way, but what makes you certain your father… That it was just an excuse?"

"They claimed that he probably wasn't my real father. They didn't even try to do a paternity test or anything, just assumed. But he was my real father. I know."

Keith had realized from an early age that other people weren't as sensitive to smells as he was. He couldn't necessarily identify and individual by scent – unless he was extremely familiar with them, he could pick Shiro out of a crowd with his eyes closed and ears covered – but he could tell when people were related. He knew his own scent well enough to be certain that his father was his real father.

People called him crazy, or accused him of making it up when he told them that, though.

Shiro didn't say anything to that. Keith wasn't sure what that meant, but he accepted it. It was better than most of the reactions people had. Usually, they tried to argue that he couldn't possibly know for certain, especially without real documentation or a paternity test.

"Why didn't they do a paternity test?" Shiro asked instead.

Keith shrugged again. "I they used the excuse of 'being insane' so that they wouldn't have to check. So that they couldn't be wrong."

"What about your mother?"

"She left. When I was really little. I don't even know her name. I don't… I really don't know much of anything about my parents."

He didn't even know his _father's_ name. It wasn't on his official birth certificate, he'd checked. He remembered being confused, when social services had showed up, and his father had told them his name was Kogane. It wasn't his father's name. Maybe it was his mother's, he didn't know.

He'd effectively been cut off from ever being able to find his parents, if they were even still alive.

V


	3. Chapter 3: Galaxy Garrison

Finding Home

A _Voltron: Legendary Defender_ Fanfic

Galaya

Written: 12-19-17

Published: 12-29-17

 **This is fanfiction – I don't own anything. Unless you count headcanons and the exact sequence of words comprising this fic.**

 **Sorry for the delayed update. I meant to have this up about a week ago, but my dad and my brother came home for Christmas and I barely got any time to myself to write or edit anything for the first few days. The updates should be more regular now. I have up to chapter seven already written, but I still need to edit them. I'm trying to have at least four chapters written ahead of time so I don't feel pressured to write something and get it posted immediately.**

 **Also, as a note on the shack, it's never explained in the show how Keith came to live there, or how he has the hoverbike thing. I gave an explanation for it, but who knows? It did occur to me that maybe the shack was formerly Keith's dad's place, as that is where he imagines his dad being in t** **he Blade of Marmora episode** **, but this makes more sense for the fic. I don't imagine Keith is earning any money, so how was he able to afford a place to live and a hoverbike? Again this isn't canon, just me making up possible explanations for things in ways that make sense in this context.**

* * *

Chapter Three: Welcome to the Galaxy Garrison

The letters swarmed on the page. Keith couldn't focus on any of the words through the blurry liquid filling his vision. He didn't have to. He knew what they said.

"Shiro!" he cried in delight, shaking his shoulder to wake him up. "Shiro! Get up!"

Shiro slowly blinked his eyes open. "What is it?"

"I'm accepted! The Galaxy Garrison accepted me! I'm in!"

He couldn't help the purring in his throat. For once he didn't even want to try. His face felt as if it would split under the force of his grin, as if his own muscles were trying to tear his face apart.

Shiro sat up and rubbed at his eyes to wake himself up. "Congratulations!"

Keith narrowed his eyes. "Did you have anything to do with it?"

"I may have sent them a letter of recommendation. The Garrison won't even look at someone without one, though, so you got in on your own, kiddo. But…" Shiro grinned, "Commander Holt might have let it slip a few days ago you were on the list for next year."

"And you didn't tell me? I've been stressing over it all week!"

"I wanted to let you have the surprise."

Keith couldn't even pretend to be irritated. He was getting his dream! The Garrison had accepted him! Maybe he'd even be a pilot. The joyful energy buzzing inside of him threatened to have him bouncing around in excitement.

He was never more glad that he had decided to approach Shiro at the bench.

V

Keith pressed an ice pack to the side of his nose. The nurse opened the cabinet to pull out a bottle of Tylenol.

"No thanks." Keith shook his head lightly. "It doesn't hurt that bad, and Tylenol doesn't do anything for me anyway."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"Well, your brother's here now."

The teachers and other school staff had assumed that Shiro was Keith's older brother. It felt nice, to be called someone's brother. Someone's family. Being Shiro's made it that much better. So Keith hadn't bothered to correct them.

Through the nurse's door, Keith could see the principal's office. Shiro stood at the desk, talking quietly with the secretary. Keith sighed.

So much for not getting onto a fight.

Keith thanked the nurse as he stood up and joined Shiro at the front desk. Shiro faced him with a concerned frown. Keith wasn't sure if he even registered the hand he reached out to gently touch the growing bruise on Keith's face. He stopped himself a few inches short.

"What happened, Keith?" Shiro asked.

"They told you over the phone, didn't they?"

He knew it wasn't fair to Shiro, but he was upset. He didn't feel like being polite.

"I want to hear your side of it."

"It's stupid."

Shiro didn't answer for a moment, focused on signing the checkout sheet. He set a hand on Keith's shoulder as they walked out of the office.

"I still want to know, Keith. You have a right to defend your own actions."

"We were playing a game in gym. We'd just scored a point. One of the boys on my team punched my shoulder. I grabbed his fist. And…" Keith's shoulders slumped. "We fought. I don't even know why. We were laughing, and then…"

"Was it something like this?" Shiro gently, slowly, bumped his fist against Keith's shoulder.

It was a gesture Keith had seen others use. He'd even watched Shiro interact with his friends like that. He nodded.

"Bit harder, but yeah."

"It's just a friendly thing," Shiro said. "He was probably trying to congratulate you. Celebrate."

"I know. I just… I didn't think. It felt… It felt like a challenge. To me. It probably wasn't. I know that."

They exited the school building and crossed the parking lot. Shiro fished his keys out of his jacket pocket. The car's lights flashed as the doors unlocked. Keith slid into his seat.

"So, what's my punishment?" asked Keith.

He fiddled with the seat belt as Shiro started the car.

"The school's suspended you for a week. They expect you to apologize to the kid. He's getting the same, so don't feel too bad."

"Are you…?"

"Nope."

Keith looked up. "Why not?"

"Because, from my perspective, you really didn't do anything wrong. It was a misunderstanding. You don't need punishment, Keith. You need someone to understand and help you understand." He gave Keith a smile. "Someone to listen to your side of things. That's what I'm here for."

Keith let his head rest against Shiro's shoulder as they began to drive home.

V

The rest of the school year preceding his first year at the Garrison as a student somehow both dragged on forever, and passed by in an instant. Shiro went of a few more, shorter, missions. The longest lasted a month, in May. The Garrison had decided to give Shiro a break from the longer missions while Keith was in school. Which Keith appreciated.

Keith spent much of his free time training, and building up his strength. He was already one of the strongest boys in his grade, despite his smaller size, but the Garrison expected cadets to be in top physical condition. Keith had the advantage of knowing from Shiro what sort of exercises and drills the Garrison would assign. Often, Shiro would train with Keith.

Summer rolled around finally, and Keith could hardly contain his excitement. It was finally happening. He was so close. It would still be a few years before he could go on missions, but that didn't matter.

His dream was coming true.

When the school year finished, Shiro took him out to a small shack in the desert, miles away from the Garrison. Apparently, it belonged to Shiro's family. They'd bought it to give him a place to go, if he didn't feel like staying at the dorms. It was in a state of heavy disrepair, having been abandoned for year, but it was livable.

He took Keith around to the back of the shack. A large shape rested in the shade, covered by a heavy tarp which had been nailed to the ground. Shiro pried it up, and flung the tarp off.

Keith stared at the hoverbike.

Shiro grinned at him. "Want to practice a bit before you go to the Garrison?"

"Heck yeah!"

Keith nearly gave Shiro a heart attack almost every time he drove, whether or not Shiro was riding with him. Flying across the desert on the hoverbike felt right in a way Keith had never really experienced.

He loved it.

V

The weeks leading up to freshman orientation felt busier than Keith could remember the Garrison ever being in the time he'd lived with Shiro. He was fairly sure that wasn't true, that it was just his own excitement warping his perspective. After all, there was a swarm of new cadets every year. Keith had avoided last year's swarm, having spent most of his time tucked away in his and Shiro's room.

He wondered if he would be assigned a different room now. Hopefully not. He'd gotten a bit better at dealing with people thanks to Shiro, but he still wasn't comfortable with it. Part of him feared he'd fall back into bad habits if he was reassigned.

The unspoken fear of being taken away from Shiro, like he'd been taken away from his father, haunted the back of his mind.

Keith stuck close to Shiro's side up until the day of orientation. Even then, the only reason he willingly separated was because Shiro was helping with the orientation, and therefore couldn't stay with Keith.

It went smoothly. The other new cadets stared at everything in awe. They asked questions. A few were familiar with the facility, having family and friends who had attended and worked for the Garrison. Keith stayed quiet. He already knew much of what they were being told from Shiro.

He was partnered with three other boys. Two of them bonded almost immediately. The third largely ignored them in favor of pestering their guides with questions and random facts.

When they took a break for lunch, the smaller of the two energetic boys turned to them. "What are your names? I'm Lance."

The larger boy grinned at him. "The name's Hunk."

"Really? Is that, like, a nickname, or something?"

"Nope. It's my actual name."

"Cool. What about you two?"

"Jared," answered the third boy, not really paying attention to anyone. He had a book open on the table and was eating his lunch carefully to avoid spilling on the pages.

Lance turned to Keith expectantly.

"Keith," he supplied.

"So, what are you guys hoping for? Pilot? Engineer? I want to be a fighter pilot!"

Hunk shook his head, mouth stuffed with food. "Not me. I'm shooting for engineer."

Jared ignored them, too engrossed in his book.

"Er, pilot, I guess." Keith hoped. "Fighter, ideally."

"Maybe we can train together." Lance's grin was as warm and real as Shiro's smile.

Keith found himself relaxing. He was content to let Lance and Hunk control the conversation. He'd add something in now and then, and answer when they addressed him directly. Their laughter drew a smile from Keith.

Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.

Maybe he could even follow Shiro's advice and try to make a friend. The idea scared him as much as it excited him.

Keith was relieved to learn, when the dorm room assignments were handed out, that he wasn't moving. He would stay with Shiro. He wondered if Shiro had requested that. He made a mental note to thank Shiro later, if that were the case.

The first days of class were interesting. More than a few of his classmates complained about the rigorous, intense training thrust upon them, and the strict rules and regulations. Most of them kept the comments away from the ears of the teachers and other staff, though.

He kept an eye out for Lance and Hunk. They shared most of their classes. He shared a few less with Hunk, as they were on different tracks, but he saw Lance every day. They even worked together on a few group projects.

Of course, it didn't last.

The class had just finished a round of training. Everyone was breathing hard. Keith had gotten the highest score on most of the exercises. One of the burlier boys in the class – whose name Keith hadn't bothered to learn – stomped up to him.

Keith paused, lowering the water bottle from his lips. "What?"

"Think a runt like you has a right to show off?" demanded the boy, shoving Keith's shoulder hard enough to force Keith to take a step back.

Water sloshed out of his open water bottle. Keith quickly set it on the table to his right. He glared at the boy.

"I'm not showing off."

"It's not a contest."

"No. It isn't. I just know what I'm capable of, and I like pushing myself. That's the whole point of training."

He refused to back down, to shrink away as his instincts screamed at him, as the larger boy loomed over him. This boy might be bigger, but Keith knew he was stronger, and faster. Today had proven that.

"How's a pipsqueak like you so strong, anyway?" The boy jabbed a finger into Keith's chest. "Drugs? Should I tell the higher-ups that you've been taking-"

"I'm not," Keith growled. "I've just been training longer than you."

"I don't believe you."

"I'm only telling the truth."

"Hey, hey, hey!" Lance shoved himself between them.

Keith blinked. He hadn't noticed Lance walking up.

"Break it up. We're classmates, not enemies. No need to go around picking fights with each other," Lance said.

"Then tell this runt to stop cheating!"

Keith ground his jaw. "Pushing yourself isn't cheating. Training isn't cheating."

"I don't know what started this, but fighting isn't going to help anyone. Unless you want to get suspended, or kicked out, or something. I won't judge." Lance held his hands up in a harried gesture.

The other boy huffed. He sent one last glare Keith's way, before turning away and stalking over to the locker rooms.

Lance turned to Keith. "You alright?"

"I'm fine," Keith sighed.

He knocked his shoulder against Lance's in an unconscious gesture of thanks as he walked by. Lance squawked indignantly, drawing Keith's attention back.

"What was that for?" Lance demanded.

Keith frowned. "What?"

Lance crossed his arms with a scowl. "Fine. Be that way. See if I help you next time."

Keith stared as Lance left. What had he done? His shoulders slumped. Of course. No one ever _actually_ wanted to be Keith's friend. The moment he reached out, they shut him back down. It was always the same. Keith swallowed the brief pang of disappointment and hurt. He really shouldn't have expected Lance to be any different.

He grabbed his water bottle and screwed the lid back on. Oh, well. At least he had Shiro.

V


	4. Chapter 4: Loss

Finding Home

A _Voltron: Legendary Defender_ Fanfic

Galaya

Written: 12-20-17

Published: 12-30-17

 **This is fanfiction - I do not own anything.**

 **Again, this fic does not follow canon perfectly. This will happen differently sometimes, and I may add or remove things. I will not rewrite scenes from the series unless that scene is changing in some big way or I want to explore some other aspect of that scene. I will make note of any scenes from the show that appear in the chapter in my AN. This chapter doesn't quite get into any scenes from the show, but this is the end of the pre-series portion of this fic.**

* * *

 _Chapter Four: Loss_

Shiro sat down across from Keith and folded his hands over his lap. "I've been selected for the Kerberos mission."

"Congratulations!" Keith grinned. "You'll go further than any human ever has."

"Yeah. I'm excited. Hey, maybe we'll even find evidence of extraterrestrial life."

"So, what's wrong? You seem worried."

"I'll be gone a long time, Keith. A year, probably."

Oh. "I'll be fine, Shiro. You don't need to worry about me. I promise. I won't get into a fight, or get myself booted out, or anything."

Shiro shook his head. "Thanks, but that's not it."

Keith frowned, and leaned forward. "Then… what?"

"You're almost sixteen, Keith."

"You know I don't care about birthdays."

"I know, Keith. But…" He sighed. "Look, you'll be seventeen by the time I get back. Almost old enough to be on your own. And I…"

He stood up and walked over to the desk. The drawer squeaked open. Keith cocked his head in confusion. Shiro pulled out a packet of papers.

"I don't think anything will happen on this mission. I'm the pilot, and I'm going with Commander Holt and Matt. I trust them. But… since it's such a long time, I want you to have some kind of back up."

Keith took the packet from his hands. "What do you mean?"

"I'm your legal guardian, Keith, not the Garrison. If anything happens to me, you'll… It hasn't been as big a deal so far, since I've been on shorter, safer, missions. And now that you're sixteen." Shiro couldn't quite finish his thought, so he sat down again and gestured at the packet.

"I signed the shack over to you. It'll give you a place to live in case anything happens. Since your exact age is uncertain, and you're pretty independent anyway, I talked with social services. If I am, for any reason, unable to take care of you, you're able to live on your own. No more foster homes."

"Shiro…" Keith stared. "Don't… Thank you, but, please, don't talk like this. Nothing's going to happen. Right?"

He couldn't lose Shiro. He'd known Shiro for five years. It was longer than _anyone_ had ever been in his life. Not even his parents. Shiro had become a constant in his life. Something permanent. He couldn't lose Shiro.

Shiro gave him a reassuring smile. "I don't think anything will, kiddo. This is worst-case scenario. I just… I don't want you to have to go back to another foster home. I'm just making sure that you won't. And that's not all that's in there."

Keith opened the packet, flipping past the deed to the shack and a few other documents.

"I've been your guardian for – what is it, now, four years? Yeah, four years. You're like a little brother to me, Keith. I figured I might as well make it official. If you want it."

The adoption papers stared up at him. Keith couldn't think of a single word to say.

Family. This was a chance to actually have a real family.

Carefully, Keith set the packet aside. He stood up and walked over to Shiro. Shiro tensed, about to say something, when Keith wrapped his arms around his shoulders and tucked his head against Shiro's chest. Tears dripped from his eyes.

Honestly, Shiro had made Keith cry more times than anyone else.

" _Thank you_." His voice shook under the weight of his emotions.

Shiro laughed quietly as he hugged Keith back. "I'll take that as a yes."

V

Watching the shuttle take off this time was harder than Keith remembered it being. Maybe it was because being Shiro's brother was so _new_. His brother! Even the thought of it made him giddy. Maybe it was because he wanted more time to spend with Shiro, to let the newness settle a bit, before he left. Maybe it was that he was nervous about Shiro being gone for an entire year.

Maybe it was both.

But something felt wrong, in a way Keith couldn't define.

Something in the back of his mind whispered that family never stayed. That, now that Shiro was officially family, he was doomed to lose him.

Keith tried to ignore that thought. It was just paranoia speaking. Shiro had promised to come home.

V

Keith sat in one of the cushioned seats in the principal's office, waiting for someone. He wasn't sure who. Had he gotten in trouble? He didn't think so. No one had even talked to Keith in the past week, let alone gotten into an argument or a fight.

So it probably wasn't something to worry about. It could be a recruitment offer, for all he knew. It wasn't unheard of for cadets to be selected for the easier missions.

He stood up, right hand to his forehead in a salute, as Commander Iverson walked in. Keith had never cared much for Iverson – he was harsh and strict, even when it was unnecessary, but Keith could deal with militaristic people. He wasn't exactly the gentlest himself.

"Sit down, cadet," Iverson said.

Keith blinked, but complied. Something _was_ wrong.

"You're Officer Shirogane's little brother, right?"

Keith's heart almost stopped in his chest. "A-adopted. Yeah- Yes. Sir."

"The Kerberos mission has gone missing."

No. _No_. Keith struggled to breathe. His throat was dry, and clogged. No. Not Shiro. Please, _please_ not Shiro.

Did the universe hate him? Was he doomed to never find anyone? That anyone and everyone would always leave him? He knew it was intentional – Shiro would never intentionally leave – but it hurt just as much.

Keith closed his eyes and bowed his head. It was all he could do to keep from breaking down in front of the Commander.

"H-How?" he managed to stutter out. "What happened?"

"We don't know yet. We have a few teams investigating. You'll be informed as soon as any more information comes to light. Dismissed."

The Commander walked out, leaving the door open. Keith could only stare at his hands. He let his head drop into his hands with a choked sob. He ground his fists against his closed eyes, as if it would help squash the anguish building up in his chest.

Nothing could ever last.

He was cursed to be forever alone.

V

For the next week, Keith refused to leave the dorm room. He hardly got out of bed, and even then, only for food, water, or the bathroom. He stared at the photo on the desk, at Shiro's smiling face. A new one had joined it recently, a picture of Shiro and Keith standing together. Shiro was grinning widely, but Keith had a confused, and slightly irritated, expression.

Shiro said he loved the picture because it captured Keith perfectly. That one was even more painful to look at than the one of Shiro's family. Keith had met them, but he didn't know any of them very well. Shiro's parents didn't speak much English, and they didn't live nearby. Shiro had the picture, but he wasn't particularly close to them, having spent most of his life away from them in boarding schools.

Maybe that was part of the reason he'd taken to Keith so easily.

All the little knickknacks they'd given each other over the years were just as hard to look at – the model shuttle and the asteroid crystal especially. So Keith kept his gaze focused on the first picture.

He wasn't sure if he was glad or upset that all the tears seemed to have dried up. Maybe, after all the years of being alone and abandoned – intentionally or not – he had no tears left to cry anymore. That thought only made him feel worse.

If he had refused Shiro's offer, refused to let Shiro be his family officially, would things have turned out differently? Had he condemned Shiro by accepting? Doomed Shiro to the same fate that seemed to befall anyone else who had ever called Keith family?

V

They told him the mission crashed due to pilot error.

Keith knew they were lying.

V

Maybe punching Commander Iverson wasn't the best way of handling things. It didn't make him feel any better. All it achieved was getting him booted from the Garrison.

He wished he could feel ashamed of it. All he felt was empty as he walked off the premises, the ghost of a familiar sigh in his ear.

Now both Keith and Shiro had broken their promises.

V

Keith moved into the shack. He'd taken everything he could from the Garrison. Clothes, books, anything. The picture of him and Shiro together, along with the model shuttle and the asteroid crystal, had taken up permanent residence in his belt pouches. He refused to leave them anywhere else for fear of losing them.

It was all he had left.

There was nothing he could do for Shiro – even if Shiro was still alive. He didn't believe the story the Garrison had told him, but that just meant they were covering something up. Keith didn't dare let himself hope that Shiro could still be alive.

So, he threw himself into searching the desert. The energy was calling louder than ever. It gave him something to put his mind to, something to let the pain fade away.

V

The energy led him to a series of caves. The walls were covered in strange carvings, all depicting a blue lion. A giant blue lion.

At first, Keith thought it was just some old Native American art. He'd seen plenty of hieroglyphs in the past. He assumed it was some ancient legend, maybe a myth about a lion spirit descending to the Earth to… do something. He'd never paid much attention to religion.

But these carvings… They almost looked mechanical. Like they weren't depicting a spirit or an animal, but a machine. The ears resembled old sci-fy communicators in a way. The lines were geometric – not that it unusual for hieroglyphs – in ways that suggested machinery.

It left him puzzled for days.

And spending hours looking up alien conspiracy theories. Which led him to realize that no one else had ever discovered these caves or their markings.

If not for the strange, calling energy, he might have dismissed the marking as a hoax. He wasn't going to argue that conspiracy theories could certainly be true, but he also knew that many people created 'evidence' to mess with people all too often.

So he kept studying the carvings. He tried to puzzle out if they could have any connection to the mysterious energy. Most of them were simply variations on the same story – the giant blue lion descending from the sky.

But he soon discovered the other carvings.

If the lion carvings depicted the past, then these were a prediction of the future. There was everything from scarily accurate star charts to images of what seemed to be some kind of ship crashing. There was a map detailing the surrounding landscape. It even showed the Garrison.

Whatever these carvings were predicting, it was going to happen soon, in just a few months.

Keith still wasn't convinced that this was more than a hoax, but he gathered supplies and made plans for what he would do if the predictions were true. A few homemade bombs – thank you, Garrison training – and detailed maps and calendars.

He had no idea what to expect, if it wasn't a hoax.

V

The night sky was broken by a streak of light blazing across the sky to crash into the desert.

It was time.

V


End file.
